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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Because People Believe It

By Nancy Thorner and Ed Ingold -

Bob Beckel, Democratic strategist and co-host of Fox News' "The Five" said something profound during the broadcast on Monday, February 17.

The issue under discussion was the status of the Keystone Pipeline, which President Obama is hesitant to approve due to opposition from a small but noisy group of "green" protesters. Whether Obama approves of funding the Keystone Pipelineor not, the oil will still be shipped and sold. The difference is whether the United States will use the oil for independence from the Middle East, or if it will instead be sold to China while we continue to funnel billions of dollars to unfriendly countries.

The conversation then shifted to the basis for the President's continual barrage against "subsidies for the big oil companies." The oil companies in question pay billions of dollars in fees and taxes to the US. The so-called "subsidies" are tax deductions related to the cost of doing business, and their elimination would add little to the treasury.

According to Beckel, the President hammers them, not because the charges are true, but because people believe it. This is Realpolitik in it's most cynical manifestation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik). It explains, at once, so many of the talking points used by the President and his supporters.

What makes Realpolitik so easy to be packaged as truth by Obama and his fellow Democrats can be attributed to the willingness of the mainstream media to pass these cachets along, unchallenged. They have aligned themselves with the Democratic Party with its mission to keep the media's prefabricated Obama image alive and well.

This might explain how after almost 4 years of massive deficits and staggering debt, all of it racked up by Obama and the Democrats, a surprising 50+% of voters say they still blamed the economy on George Bush!

Also true is that Democrats are better at marketing than Republicans. Republicans believe that facts will win the day for them, while Democrats know how to couch their messages in emotional language that reaches a majority of Americans who are neither politically active nor economically knowledgable. Accordingly Democrats are able to demonize the rich and big business, the very people who employ most of the American worker, by telling the little guy that they are victims of the 1% and have a right to a certain standard of living.

The so-called War on Women was actually a "straw woman" argument in which a misrepresentation of the Republican position made it possible for Democrats to win the overwhelming support of the single women vote last November. Seeing that women were losing jobs because of their failed economic policies, Democrats maintained that Republicans were "waging a war on women," whereas the Democrats are the saviors and protector of their rights (epitomized as free contraceptives).

Additionally, Democrats are able to peg Republicans as being on the wrong side of the issue or of public opinion, such as when President Obama framed his call for an increase in the minimum wage to $9 an hour (up from the current $7.25). Of course to many Americans the raise sounds just and fair, not realizing that when the price of employment is raised jobs are lost.

Other issue that the Left is calling its own, citing public support to reinforce their claims, are abortion, same sex marriage, legalization of marijuana, and the right to bear arms. Many Republicans would just as soon forget about the so-called social issues, but unless Republicans are willing to defend the social value issues, they will have blood of their hands asthis nation descends into the morass and decadence that defeated the once powerful Roman Empire from the inside out.

Some blatant examples of Realpolitik include:

•The Republicans are in favor of subsidies to the big oil companies (deductions for business expenses) •Republicans want to protect the rich at the expense of the middle class (the traditional middle class pay little or no taxes) •The rich should pay their fair share (the top 2% pay 80% of all tax revenues). •Assault weapons are responsible for mass murders (less than 1% of violent crimes are committed with long guns of any sort, no homicides in Chicago). •We need comprehensive background checks on all gun purchases (fewer than 10% slip through the cracks). •Medical expenses are out of control (perhaps, but under Obamacare, they are wildly out of control, having doubled in less than 3 years). •Most undocumented immigrants haven't committed any crime (unlawful entry is a crime. In Mexico, you can be sentenced to 10 years in prison for it.). •We need to encourage foreign professionals to move to this country (Harry Reid is sitting on a House bill to do just that. The President actually opposes it, in part because other countries see it as a "brain drain." We have thousands of engineers and scientists out of work, but foreigners will work for half the pay and are "locked" to the employer by visa restrictions). •Politicians are indentured to the NRA (the strength of the NRA is based on sharing information and keeping its members aware of issues, not political contributions). •The Constitution is outdated (meaning it won't let us do what we want to do) •Global Warming is killing the polar bears and destroying the environment (Global temperatures have not budged in nearly 15 years). •No citizen should be forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote (Way to increase voter fraud to favor Democrats). •That our county cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it (Redistribution of wealth). •Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law (to demoralize and punish Christians while pushing for gay marriage). •The need to invest in infrastructure an education in a modern economy (payback for support of teachers' unions and unsustainable pensions).

We could add to this list almost indefinitely.

We see just the tip of the iceberg in the press. Hidden from view are the millions of Twitter and other social media accounts used so effectively by the Democrats. We hear the same phrases, word for word, uttered by Democrats across the nation, as though rehearsed. These phrases are inevitably included in every response, no matter how unrelated to the question.

Republican responses are never that consistent, because we like to think we think for ourselves. How unrealistic is that?

It is way past time for Republicans to realize that Democrats will do and say whatever is necessary to win elections, to winissues, and to emasculate the Republican Party so it loses all effectiveness as a viable political party. Talk of compromise means to Democrats "my way or no way," leaving Republican nursing their wounds, feeding on crumbs, while further being blamed for what Democrat misgivings have wrought on this nation and its people.

Comments

Because People Believe It

By Nancy Thorner and Ed Ingold -

Bob Beckel, Democratic strategist and co-host of Fox News' "The Five" said something profound during the broadcast on Monday, February 17.

The issue under discussion was the status of the Keystone Pipeline, which President Obama is hesitant to approve due to opposition from a small but noisy group of "green" protesters. Whether Obama approves of funding the Keystone Pipelineor not, the oil will still be shipped and sold. The difference is whether the United States will use the oil for independence from the Middle East, or if it will instead be sold to China while we continue to funnel billions of dollars to unfriendly countries.

The conversation then shifted to the basis for the President's continual barrage against "subsidies for the big oil companies." The oil companies in question pay billions of dollars in fees and taxes to the US. The so-called "subsidies" are tax deductions related to the cost of doing business, and their elimination would add little to the treasury.